Yes, I still have a lot of basil.  After making so much pesto, and Caprese Salad with it, it's time for a cocktail.  I figured the freshness of basil would be great with the freshness of the limes we love so much.  

This cocktail is made with simple syrup, which is commonly used to sweeten cocktails.  Just adding sugar in your cocktail can be a bit grainy but making a simple syrup solves this problem. To make a simple syrup all you do is boil equal amounts of sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves.  Then stick it in the refrigerator to cool. That's all there is to it. It is very easy to do and so worth it. In the recipe I use a quarter cup of water and a quarter cup of sugar. That will actually make a dozen cocktails.  Although there is a little simple syrup in this drink, it is not real sweet.

Doesn't this look refreshing? While we were in Chicago for our son's graduation last month, we ate at an Italian restaurant which served a cocktail that I had never heard of.  I was curious because it contained Aperol, the Italian liquor that I wrote about previously. This cocktail is delicious and just right for an evening on the patio!

Here's a great little concoction to keep the party going - espresso shots!  An icy blend of Kahlua, Cointreau, tequila and espresso will give you that extra bit of energy.  Place a whole bunch of these pretty shots on a serving tray and pass them around.  It will pick up your party a notch or two!

It's about time for another cocktail around this blog, I think.  I want to introduce you to a drink that is wildly popular in Italy, especially in the Veneto where it originates, but is hardly known in the United States.  It is made with Aperol, which began to be imported into this country only about three years ago.  It is the Aperol Spritz and you can get a little of the general spirit of the drink with this Italian TV ad: